Client Service Associate Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a client service associate. You can use our job description template in this article to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a client service associate.
Who is a Client Service Associate?
A Client Service Associate in the financial sector is someone who assists financial advisors or other wealth management professionals. This person assists financial advisors with duties that may or may not include client interaction. They do not, however, provide personal financial advice. Clerical and administrative tasks are among the things a client service associate may perform.
Client service associates are capable of performing a wide range of duties. However, they all typically have the same goal to improve the client-advisor relationship and guarantee customer satisfaction.
In a nutshell, a client service associate offers services comparable to that of a concierge since they prioritize pleasing customers and attending to their requirements. A client service associate frees financial advisers to concentrate on matters crucial to the company’s growth. For instance, the adviser can spend more time nurturing current client relationships or concentrating on outreach to expand their client base by delegating administrative or clerical tasks connected to filing paperwork to a client service associate. These sorts of initiatives can play a major role in increasing the revenue of an adviser or advisory business.
Client service associates are crucial to the financial advice sector. These people can operate in the open or in the background to maintain the effectiveness of the advisor-client relationship.
Client Service Associate Job Description
Below are the client service associate job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of the client service associate include the following:
- Serve customers and answer inquiries as they arise.
- Deliver requested information to clients, such as stock prices, account balances, and various account-related facts.
- Ensure that concerned financial consultants know the specifics and activities of the transactions and accounts of registered customers.
- Encourage financial counselors to plan and carry out direct mail campaigns.
- Obey and get familiar with all corporate rules and regulations.
- Inform the appropriate branch management or financial experts as soon as possible of any potential issues.
- Assist corresponding financial experts professionally over the phone.
- Respond proactively to consumer inquiries and concerns.
- Determine problems that demand immediate promotion to a financial adviser or branch management team member.
- Provide top-level confidentiality regarding customer, branch, financial consultant, and corporate information.
- Ensure all appropriate and necessary account documentation is gathered and updated.
- Assist customers with money and assets transfer and issue checks when needed.
- Inform clients of missing documents and securities and any outstanding payments.
- Make sure that all branch and company policies are followed.
Qualifications
- A high school certificate, GED, or its equivalent
- A bachelor’s degree in business, English, finance, accounting, computer, or similar study
- Experience working in a client-facing role
Essential Skills
Here are the skills you require to excel in your role as a client service associate:
- Customer Assistance
- Compliance
- Business Development
- Asset Management
- Client Relationship Management
- Communication
- Financial Analysis
- Flexibility
- Excellent Presentation Skill
- Detail-orientation
- Marketing
- Multi-tasking
- Organizational
- Product Knowledge
- Research
- Writing
Customer Assistance
The expertise you employ to assist clients is known as customer service skills. These include your capacity to pay attention, react, and address client concerns. You need excellent customer service skills because it makes up a significant portion of client service employment. How happy a customer is with their experience at your business may depend entirely on your ability to provide excellent customer service.
Compliance
A client service associate must follow all corporate rules and regulations. This implies that individuals must abide by any guidelines established by their employers, such as dress codes, timekeeping obligations, and other laws. Additionally, it is critical for a client service associate to abide by customer wishes.
Business Development
Your firm can expand if you have the business development skills to see chances for expansion and create plans to take advantage of them. For instance, if you have never held the position of a client service associate, you may utilize your business development skills to learn about the role and how to apply for it effectively. You may make an action plan to gradually improve your effectiveness in this job using business development skills as well.
Asset Management
The act of splitting a client’s assets among several investment portfolios is known as asset management. Understanding different investment strategies and how they evolve to impact client portfolios is necessary to do this. As a client service associate, you can use this skill to potentially improve client satisfaction by assisting them in making well-informed financial selections.
Client Relationship Management
The ability to develop a connection of trust with customers and guarantee an experience is known as client relationship management. This might involve asking them about their interests or hobbies, remembering their names, and giving them information that enables them to make educated decisions.
Communication
The ability to transfer clear and succinct information is referred to as communication. Strong communication skills are crucial for providing excellent customer service since they enable you to communicate product information, respond to inquiries, and handle issues. It is crucial to listen while speaking with consumers to comprehend their demands and give them the correct information.
Financial Analysis
The ability to evaluate and comprehend financial data is financial analysis. This ability might be helpful in a client-facing position because you might have to explain intricate financial details to clients. For instance, if a customer has inquiries about their investment portfolio or bank account, you may utilize your knowledge of financial analysis to address their concerns.
Flexibility
Being flexible is having the ability to change course when necessary. Because customers’ demands might alter abruptly and fast, you might need flexibility in your working environment as a client service associate. For instance, you could have to take up their obligations while abroad if one of your clients has an urgent situation that needs their attention. Being adaptable enables you to keep up your exceptional customer service while taking advantage of these developments.
Excellent Presentation Skill
The ability to communicate difficult ideas in a way understandable to others is called a presentation skill. When engaging with clients, this ability might be very crucial, because you might need to give details regarding the goods or services your business provides. For instance, you may utilize your presenting skills to explain a new product’s operation to a client simply and plainly so they can make an educated choice.
Detail-orientation
A skill that can help you give your clients outstanding service is attention to detail. Client service associates must be diligent and precise while addressing requests to guarantee that their consumers receive the proper information or goods. For instance, if a customer inquires about a product’s characteristics, you must do extensive subject research before answering to ensure you are giving them the correct information.
Marketing
Knowing how to market allows you to comprehend how companies advertise their goods and services. This may assist you in giving them the knowledge they require to make wise purchasing judgments. For instance, you may utilize your marketing expertise to persuade a customer to choose the complete warranty option by outlining the advantages of each plan when they inquire about a product.
Multi-tasking
An employee providing customer service must be able to multitask or handle numerous jobs. This is because a business frequently has large customers present at any given moment, each of whom may have distinct needs. For instance, one consumer could want assistance finding a product, while another would prefer to pay for their purchase. A client service associate has to be able to move between these jobs swiftly to give every customer the best service possible.
Organizational
Being more organized might increase your productivity at work. Knowing where to obtain the data or resources you require and keeping track of deadlines, tasks, and other job-related information are examples of being organized. By ensuring you have all the information your clients require and can give it to them quickly, having organizational skills will help you give them better service.
Product Knowledge
You can provide your consumers superior service if you are well-versed in the things you sell. For instance, if a consumer asks about the distinctions that become comparable items, you may respond by outlining the characteristics and advantages of each product. When consumers purchase something from your shop, this can assist them in making an educated selection.
Research
To assist consumers in making knowledgeable financial decisions, client service associates frequently leverage their knowledge of investing research. For instance, you might need to research to obtain the answer if a customer asks you for advice on whether they should invest in a specific investment. The customer can then receive your results and an explanation of why one alternative would be preferable to another.
Writing
You may use your writing skills to sell people your goods and services. You could have to persuade consumers to acquire particular goods or services by outlining their advantages as a client service associate. Effective proposal writing abilities may aid you in doing this by offering concise justifications and instances that persuade your clients to buy from you.
How to Become a Client Service Associate
Below are the steps to becoming a Client Service Associate:
Step One: Get Relevant Education
To begin working as a registered client service associate, you must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent. Some businesses can need a GED, but if you are young, you might think about enrolling in GED prep courses at your neighborhood high school.
Take adult education classes to get your high school diploma if you do not already have one. You can gain the skills and information from these programs to excel in this work.
After high school, you can get a bachelor’s degree in business, English, communications, or a similar discipline to increase your chances of getting a client service associate role after schooling.
Step Two: Complete On-the-job Training
Most firms train new hires on the goods and services their business offer. Depending on the employer’s option, this training may take place online or in a classroom. New hires typically need many weeks or months to finish this training.
Additionally, employers frequently offer supplementary training tailored to the position you have. For instance, call center employees who are registered client service associates go through phone-based training to learn how to speak with consumers on the phone.
Step Three: Keep Updating Your Knowledge in the Financial Sector
The financial sector is undergoing rapid change, and new rules and regulations may impact how you do your duties. Consider taking a continuing education course provided by your business or the financial regulatory body in your country.
Employers frequently also offer extra training such as programs focusing on certain goods or services. Additionally, keep an eye out for chances to pick up fresh skills that might boost your job.
Where to Work as a Client Service Associate
Client service associates can work in banks, investment companies, and financial advisory firms. They must thus be knowledgeable on financial regulatory laws and the specifics of various securities, such as stocks, mutual funds, and bonds.
Although they frequently work regular business hours, they may have to put in extra time during hectic times like the end of the fiscal year or tax season. Client service associates frequently operate in tidy, well-lit offices with little to no touch with the general public. They spend most of their time at their desks or on the phone, conducting research or handling transactions on computers.
Client Service Associate Salary Scale
A client service associate makes $52,274 a year, or $26.81 an hour in the United States. The more experienced workers earn up to $72,507 yearly, while entry-level ones start at $39,000.
In the UK, a client service associate makes an average salary of £32,000 annually or £16.41 per hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to £50,000 yearly, while entry-level roles start at £27,500.
In Canada, a client service associate makes an average salary of CA$43,750 annually or CA$22.44 per hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to CA$65,000 yearly, while entry-level ones start at CA$39,390.
A client service associate makes an average pay of €34,392 in Germany.
In Australia, the average gross pay for a client service associate is AU$55,050 or AU$26 per hour.
In Ireland, a client service associate makes an average yearly pay of €29,602.
A client service associate makes an average net salary of ₦72,000 in Nigeria.
Salary ranges can vary significantly based on various crucial aspects, including education, credentials, skills, and the length of time working in a given field.
